CHAPTER VIII. 
Determination of Sparrow-hawh—Boldness and voracity of 
Stoat—Jays—bait for—Flocks of Magpies—Jays, Mag- 
pies, &e. subject to fits—Raven—Cats—Barn-owls—Kes- 
trels—Foxes. 
HILE partridge-shooting a year or two ago 
I put up a covey of birds, and, following 
them with the keeper, came across one which had 
just been knocked down by a Hawk. He at once 
set about taking preliminary measures for the 
apprehension of the offender, by pegging down 
the bird, placing a small bush at its head, and 
otherwise limiting the hawk’s approach to it by 
a little avenue of sticks, between which the gin 
was to be set after our day's shooting was over. 
Having expressed a wish to see the hawk if he 
caught it, the next morning, as I was sitting down 
to breakfast, I was told that he wanted to speak 
to me, and, on going out, found him with his 
prisoner, a hen Sparrow-Hawk, alive in the gin, 
which had her fast by one leg. From the claw 
R 
